Law Offices of David S. Rich, LLCNew York Employment Attorney | Business Litigation Attorney

New York Employment Attorney | Business Litigation Attorney

In order to navigate the complexities of federal, New York State, and New York City law, as well as the interactions of these bodies of law with one another, your company needs guidance from a New York employment attorney or New York business litigation attorney. At the Law Offices of David S. Rich, LLC, we skillfully litigate, on our clients’ behalf, both multifaceted and single-claim commercial and financial disputes. We aggressively advocate for our clients. Further, we tailor our legal strategies to our clients’ needs. Learn more about our practice — and how we can help you or your business — below.

New York employment law covers a myriad of disputes and issues arising out of employer-employee relationships. Some of the federal, New York, and New York City laws which businesses commonly are accused of violating are as follows. At the Law Offices of David S. Rich, LLC, we have substantial experience litigating, on behalf of employers and individuals, these claims and many others.

Employment Discrimination

Federal law prohibits public and private employers with 15 or more employees from discriminating in all terms and conditions of employment on the basis of gender, race, national origin, color and religion.

New York State law bars employers with four or more employees from firing or refusing to hire an individual, and from discriminating against an individual in compensation or in the terms and conditions of employment, because of the individual’s:

age,

race,

creed,

color,

national origin,

sexual orientation,

military status,

gender,

disability,

predisposing genetic characteristics,

marital status, or

domestic violence victim status.

So, too, New York City law prohibits employers with four or more employees from firing or refusing to hire an individual, and from discriminating against an individual in compensation or in the terms and conditions of employment, because of the individual’s actual or perceived age, race, creed, color, national origin, gender, disability, marital status, partnership status, sexual orientation, alienage, or citizenship status.

If an employee has brought an employment discrimination claim against your company, contact a New York employment attorney immediately.

Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA)

Federal law prohibits discrimination against employees for the purpose of interfering with their attainment of rights under an employee benefit (pension or health and welfare) plan. Disputes involving self-funded employee benefit plans are governed by state contract laws.

Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

Federal law obligates employers with 50 or more employees to allow workers to take, and to return to their jobs after taking, as much as 12 weeks of unpaid leave in a 12-month period:

Restrictive Covenants

So as to ensure that the time, effort, and money they invest in the training and development of new workers will pay off, many employers in New York make new workers sign employment agreements which include restrictive covenants.

In New York, there are two common categories of restrictive covenants. Non-disclosure agreements bar employees from disseminating trade secrets or confidential information. Non-solicitation agreements prohibit employees from seeking business from former customers for a defined length of time and within a specified geographical area.

In New York, restrictive covenants are enforceable to the extent that they are reasonable. A covenant is reasonable only if it (1) is no greater than is required for the legitimate interest of the employer, (2) does not impose undue hardship on the employee, and (3) is not injurious to the public.

Retaliatory Discharge

A series of federal, New York State, and New York City laws prohibit employers from retaliating against or punishing employees for asserting their legal rights or reporting violations to the government.

Federal law requires that most employees in the United States be paid at least the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour for all hours worked and overtime pay at 1½ times the regular rate of pay for all hours worked in excess of 40 hours in a workweek.

New York State law mandates that employees in New York be paid at least the New York minimum wage — which, depending on the county and the size of the employer, ranges from $10.40 per hour to $13.00 per hour — for all hours worked. Covered employees who work overtime must be paid at a rate that is 1½ times their regular, “straight-time” hourly rate of pay.

Workers’ Compensation Defense

Most workers in New York are eligible for temporary or permanent cash benefits, known as workers’ compensation benefits, when they are injured by an accident arising out of and in the course of their employment.

If the employer or insurance carrier disputes a worker’s claim, no cash benefits are paid until a workers’ compensation law judge decides who is right.

Employers pay for workers’ compensation insurance.

If your company has a greater frequency of workers’ compensation claims or has more severe workplace accidents than other businesses in your industry that are roughly the same size, your company’s workers’ compensation insurance premiums will increase. Conversely, if your business has a lesser frequency of workers’ compensation claims or has less serious workplace accidents than other companies in your industry that are about the same size, your business’s workers’ compensation insurance premiums will decrease.

Workers’ compensation law is counter-intuitive. If an employee files a workers’ compensation claim, it’s in your business’ best interest to retain an experienced New York workers’ compensation defense attorney to defend against the claim.

Most New York employment law claims involve an adverse employment action, such as wrongful termination. (Other adverse employment actions include failing to hire, demoting, failing to promote, reducing the compensation or work hours of, or denying or reducing a discretionary bonus of an individual, or otherwise detrimentally changing the terms and conditions of employment.)

Should an employee win a wrongful termination action against your company in New York, your company may be liable to the employee for back pay, front pay, compensatory damages, punitive damages, and, at the court’s discretion, costs and reasonable attorney’s fees.

Business Litigation

Because of New York’s robust commercial, financial, and securities markets, business litigation in the New York State courts and in federal courts situated in New York is both frequent and highly complex. In civil and commercial matters, some of the causes of action which entities and individuals commonly bring are as follows. At the Law Offices of David S. Rich, LLC, we have substantial experience litigating, on behalf of companies and individuals, these claims as well as many others.

Breach of contract actions, such as actions for:

violation of contracts for the sale of goods, professional services contracts, supplier contracts, independent contractor agreements, and agreements with temporary employment agencies.

Business torts cases, such as actions for:

breach of fiduciary duty, breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, conversion, fraud, interference with contract, interference with prospective advantage, and negligent misrepresentation.

We Endeavor to Help You Resolve Your Business Disputes Quickly and Efficiently

If you or your company is involved in a business dispute, a New York business litigation attorney may be able, on your behalf, to resolve it quickly and efficiently. At the Law Offices of David S. Rich, LLC, we are skilled litigators, but we also understand the value of keeping our clients out of court.

When we defend companies in business litigation, our ultimate goal is to make our clients’ problems go away. We do this through pretrial or trial advocacy, through alternative dispute resolution, or through negotiation. When possible, we undertake to resolve our clients’ disputes privately and confidentially. Where an early resolution is not feasible, the Law Offices of David S. Rich, LLC will skillfully litigate, until settlement or through trial, your company’s case.

Consult With a New York Employment Attorney and Business Litigation Attorney

When you work with a New York employment attorney or New York business litigation attorney at the Law Offices of David S. Rich, LLC, you’ll receive both client-focused and tenacious legal representation. We offer comprehensive employment and business litigation services — and we also pride ourselves on our attention to detail. We offer confidential consultations and look forward to meeting with you.